Alpha Omega
by twinklingstar95
Summary: One night, one peaceful night, they find where they belong in the end. CloTi.


**A/N: **HAPPY VALENTINE! *gives out chocolates* As usual, I'd like to thank Kohryu and (thanks for the compliment as well!) for the review!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything beside the plot.

This one-shot is a gift for you all CloTi lovers! :D

Enjoy ^^

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The door to Seventh Heaven opened and the couple was welcomed with silence. It was the night of Cid and Shera's wedding and the kids had stayed with Barret until tomorrow afternoon. Cloud stepped in first, turning on two pairs of lamps that illuminated the center of the bar. Tifa followed suit as she took off her annoyingly high-heeled shoes, not even caring to put them away neatly. Seeing this, Cloud chuckled and he discarded his own pair of formal black shoes as well.

Tifa walked pass Cloud to cross the bar. She got behind the counter and grabbed a glass out of a cabinet. "Water?" she asked him. The man nodded as he sat down on a bar stool.

When she was finished filling the two glasses, she joined him. They sat in silence, only taking a sip of their water once in a while until Tifa broke the silence with a heavy sigh. Cloud turned his head to study her expression; frowning, tired, a little upset.

"Tifa?"

She forced a smile and looked back at him, meeting his questioning eyes. She shook her head. "Just thinking about Cid and Shera," she replied his unspoken curiosity, and then she stared down at her glass. "They look happy."

Cloud nodded. "Hn. They do."

A real smile grew on Tifa's pink lips. "They deserve it."

They fell into another solid silence, Cloud thinking hard on the hints she had been dropping. Tifa shed tears when they watched Cid and Shera promised to each other. Almost everyone did, but these tears... They were difference from her usual happy tears. She had been normal then, but he wasn't too sure since she wandered off somewhere during the wedding reception. They met again when it was over, and just then he knew that whatever was bothering her hadn't gone away from her thought.

Cloud was determined to find out.

"Do you have music, Teef?" he asked casually. Well, as casual as Cloud Strife could be.

Tifa was taken aback by his sudden, random question. She tilted her head in confusion. "Music? I do have some in that music player," she pointed at the worn out object. "I play it for the customers sometimes, why?"

The swordsman stood up from his spot and sauntered to where the player was located; under a cabinet in the corner of the kitchen. He focused on the thing for some times until a soft voice of piano was heard.

"Cloud, what—"

"I didn't get to dance," he cut off as he leaned on the bar table, his palms planted on it firmly. "A certain someone wandered off somewhere in the wide ballroom and I couldn't find her." he said, a slight smirk visible on his pale face. Tifa could still see the blush on his cheeks despite the darkness, though.

She scoffed a laugh and smiled at him. "Well then the song will be over soon if you don't make a move, my prince." she teased.

That was all the cue he needed. He moved out of the kitchen and took Tifa's hand in his, guiding her to the center of the room. Her left hand was joint with his right one, while he rested his free hand on the small of her back, automatically making her right hand put gently on his shoulder. They were dangerously close to each other, but neither minded.

_Here we are  
On earth together  
It's you and I  
God has made us fall in love  
It's true_

The soft voice of the song cradled their thought, tempting them to just rock back and forth gently and say nothing, but Cloud couldn't let it go that way. He looked down at her. "You look upset. What's wrong?" his voice was small, but silk-smooth and it sent shiver down her spine as the words were whispered right to her ear. Before she could give an answer, he added, "And don't even think to say that you're tired. You think I don't know you?" Tifa was supposed to be grumpy when she's tired, not all silent and sad like this.

Again, she shook her head. "I'm not really upset, I'm just... Like I said; thinking about Cid and Shera. I...," she hesitated. "I'm not... Okay, maybe I'm jealous." she confessed.

Well, that explained, but he knew there was more than that.

"Don't get me wrong; I'm happy for them, I really am. But...," she chuckled miserably. "I get a bit scared thinking that I might not be able to taste the same happiness."

_I've really found  
Someone like you_

"Why would you think so?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

They continued swaying softly, getting lost in the mellow song. She let out a heavy sigh and stared blankly at his collar bone area. "Cloud, don't you... Don't you ever think about the lives, lost because of us? I killed people, Cloud. It doesn't matter if they are bad people; they are still lives. I... stole them away."

"True, but you saved a tripled amount of lives in return."

Her eyes glowed in admission, but that didn't erase the frown on her lips. "I keep thinking that if someday I am to be punished for what I did, I will accept it. I keep that in my mind, but I can't help to think that this is cruel." she shut her eyes in attempt to stop the tears welling up in her ruby eyes, and rested her head on his shoulder, her steady breath tickling his neck slightly. They had never shared such close encounter, but she was beyond caring. "But payback's a bitch, no? She could've just killed me, but apparently she prefers a slow death. She wants me to rot in my own negative thoughts."

"Tifa," his voice was tinted with scolding. "You have done too many good things to suffer from that."

She knew he was there to cheer her up, but it wasn't helping. How could being comforted by a man you know you can never have be any help at all? She had always assumed so. Cloud never made a move. It was whether he was content at what they were having or he thought of Tifa as merely a family, or... Tifa hated herself for even having this thought crossed her mind, but maybe... Maybe he still had a feeling for the flower girl.

_Will it say  
The love you feel for me  
Will it say  
That you will be by my side  
To see me through  
Until my life is through_

She didn't give any responses that he was afraid if he said something wrong, but her grip on his hand tightened and it was enough to convince him that she didn't want him to leave her. At least until the song was over.

Cloud wondered if there was anything he could do for her. She had done uncountable amount of things for him—for everyone. He didn't wish her to think that he took everything for granted. He wanted to reciprocate.

Her voice woke him from his reverie. "Do you remember Spudgy?" she asked. Cloud grunted at the mention of the name, which made Tifa let out a hearty laugh. Spudgy was a dog owned by their neighbor back in Nibelheim. It wasn't really a friendly dog, and long story short, Cloud had built a bit of hostility towards dogs ever since. "I don't recall seeing your expression any more frightened than that moment." she added with a giggle.

"Tifa," Cloud warned. She looked up to see his cheeks as red as Reno's hair.

_Well in my mind  
We can conquer the world in love  
You and I  
You and I, you and I..._

Tifa smiled mischievously, but that smile turned grim. She exhaled slowly, and then put her head back on his shoulder. "I miss a lot of things. Our home, family, friends...," she said, and he voiced a wordless agreement, letting her continue. "I wish I have talked to you more back then, Cloud. Maybe things are going to be easier then, somehow."

"Only meeting me is not enough?" he teased, his lips twitching upwards.

"It's enough," she replied quickly, too quick even for herself. "If I am to be reborn again, I'll never change our meeting."

Cloud smiled, subconsciously pulling her closer. It was true; meeting her, no matter how hurtful the goodbyes were after that, had always been a blessing for him. After all, they were always joint together again, weren't they? They met to make a promise after being separated by her father due to Mount Nibel incident. They met to Tifa being oblivious of his presence when Sephiroth burnt down their hometown. They met again to save the world which began on Tifa saving him at the train station. They met to settle things down after Geostigma forced him to leave.

She had always been his beginning; Tifa's the reason why Cloud was the Cloud he was right now. Proud, strong, confident, gentle, free.

_I am glad  
At least in my life  
I've found someone  
That may not be here forever  
To see me through_

"Cloud...," she whispered, her voice timid.

"Hm?"

She remained silent for a while. "Are you happy...?"

It was a simple question. Cloud could have answered in one syllable, but he wished he could. There was something in her voice that prevented him from doing so.

There were times in their lives in which they would feel vulnerable, and Cloud's eyes were now filled with fear at how vulnerable Tifa looked and felt in his arms. Tifa had always been strong, or at least she had always pretended to be strong in front of her comrades, especially in front of her enemies. She was afraid of being an excess weight, she wanted to be independent so that nobody would have to take care of her.

So it surprised him when a drop of tear made its way down her pale cheek.

His eyes widened as he instinctively pulled back to look at her face, but she refused to meet his concerned gaze. She looked down, barely seeing anything as her tears blurred her vision. Her breath was held in attempt to hide the shudder.

"Tifa?"

She shook her head, freeing her hand from Cloud's gentle grasp to wipe the substance off her eyes and face. "I'm sorry," she said in a breeze-like whisper. The martial artist couldn't hold back for much longer, though. Her shoulders convulsed slightly, and soft sobs escaped her lips.

It hit him right there and then.

His support system was crying.

"Tifa," he called again, softer with hints of sympathy this time. He lifted his right hand to cup her cheek, turning it upwards. She had no choice but to look at him now. "Don't cry, please."

_But I found my strength in you  
Cause in my mind  
You will stay here always  
In love_

She was his beginning.

_You and I_

He stared into her eyes, his gaze so fierce it felt like he was piercing right into her soul. The next words he spoke out were gentle but somehow firm, and they had no other intentions other than being heard by the woman in front of him. He expected no answer, he only wanted her to know.

"I love you."

_You and I_

He wanted her to be his end, too.

_In my mind  
We can conquer the world in love  
You and I...  
_  
Cloud leaned in, neither hesitance nor doubt was found in his gestures. He knew, she knew, that this moment was meant to happen.

_You and I_

All thoughts, of worry and fear, of sadness and gloom, of assumption and self-distrust, disappeared from their mind the moment his lips touch hers. Everything just felt so right.

_You and I..._

Because she was his alpha, and his omega.

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**A/N: **The song is "You and I" by Michael Buble. It's one of my favorite songs from him. A YouTube comment once said his voice sounds like butter, and I seriously don't find any other words to describe his voice than that word. Butter.

Review is always welcomed! Happy Valentine again :D


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